Gallbladder Blues

Gallbladder imbalances are rampant in our society, largely because of over consumption of trans-fatty acids, fried foods, and hydrogenated fats. In addition, hormone imbalances can throw off the functioning of the gallbladder. The results are some of the following:

· Pain in the shoulders (especially the right one)
· Dry skin despite consumption of EFA’s and fish oils
· Joint pain and arthritis
· Hormone imbalances
· Fatigue
· Memory problems
· Prostate hypertrophy
· Immune system weakness
· Pain between the shoulder blades
· Pain in the webbing between the finger and thumb
· Pain under the right ribcage
· Burping and belching
· Indigestion and bloating
· Inability to digest fatty foods
· Failing eyesight
· Depression or other mood imbalances
· Allergies to pollen, dust and animal dander

If you suffer from some of these problems, your gallbladder may be the culprit.

What is your gallbladder and what does it do? Your Gallbladder is a small hollow organ situated under your liver. Its main job is to concentrate the bile produced by the liver. Bile is released in response to fats in the diet and acts like a soap to break up the molecules of fat. These fat molecules are then digested by the enzymes secreted by the pancreas. These molecules are the source of our anti-inflammatory agents, hormones, joint lubrication and cell membranes. The fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed correctly when the gallbladder is functioning well. Without absorption of these vitamins, we end up with eyesight diminishment, skin problems, thickening of the blood, greater risk of cancer and osteoporosis in addition to those issues listed above.

Many people take essential fatty acids, such as fish oil and flax seed oil, in order to prevent heart disease and inflammation. If your gallbladder is underfunctioning, this is not only a waste but also may aggravate the problem.

Gallstones
Gallstones are common--they occur in approximately 20% of women in the US, Canada and Europe--but there is a large variation in prevalence among ethnic groups. For example, gallstones occur 1 ½ to 2 times more commonly among Scandinavians and Mexican-Americans. Among American Indians, gallstone prevalence reaches more than 80%. Women tend to have more estrogen which increases the amount of cholesterol that is deposited in the bile and increases its viscosity. Gallstones are mostly made of cholesterol. If the liver does not secrete enough bile acids and lecithin, some of the cholesterol also does not dissolve. In either case, undissolved cholesterol sticks together and forms particles of cholesterol that grow in size and eventually form gallstones, which further blocks the flow of bile.

Gallbladder disease or imbalances will only be recognized by allopathic medicine once they become serious or life threatening, and then their only remedy is to remove the offending organ. This increases the imbalance and creates more problems in the body. In natural medicine, we can evaluate and prevent this imbalance by maximizing function of the gallbladder with herbs and supplements that tone and strengthen it. This can alleviate those symptoms listed above. It is also possible to dissolve gallstones and thereby eliminate the need for surgery. Imbalances in the gallbladder can be detected easily and painlessly by using Kinesiology.

Dr. J A Dunn
Wholistic Kinesiology Institute